Prolegomena to Capacity Building

Introduction

Capacity building has become a key term in education, governance and development dialogue, particularly where systemic change and sustained development are required. In Library and Information Science (LIS), capacity building is not only about professional skill development but also about rethinking institutional mandates, redesigning infrastructures, and ensuring the knowledge economy serves the needs of early 21st-century learners. NEP 2020 has positioned libraries at the centre of the educational ecosystem, emphasising holistic learning, digital integration, foundational literacy and numeracy, and multidisciplinary studies.

The term “Prolegomena” highlights the fundamental importance of capacity reshaping — the preliminary thoughts and guiding structure that must come before any activity. In the Indian context, capacity building in libraries cannot be abstract; it must be understood within the realities of mass education, the diversity of learners, technological change, and the urgency of inclusive access. Since SCERTs (State Councils of Educational Research and Training) and DIETs (District Institutes of Education and Training) are responsible for preparing teachers and learning materials, the library professionals in these organisations are expected to be enablers of inquiry, facilitators of critical thinking, and partners in curriculum integration — not merely keepers of books.

These observations are echoed worldwide. UNESCO’s Global Report on School Libraries (2017) notes that investment in library systems improves learning outcomes and reduces equity gaps. IFLA likewise advocates that professional development, technological integration and community participation are mutually reinforcing pillars of sustainable libraries.

Objectives of Capacity Building

The objectives of capacity building in libraries are multi-dimensional. At their core they aim to empower library professionals with the knowledge, competencies and attitudes needed to respond to a dynamic educational landscape:

• Professional Competence: keeping current with cataloguing, classification, information retrieval and digital literacy, and — under NEP 2020 — developing expertise in integrating library resources with pedagogy and supporting FLN.
• Innovation and Sustainability: encouraging innovative, sustainable approaches such as green libraries, OERs and energy-efficient infrastructure that contribute to the SDGs.
• Equity and Inclusion: democratising knowledge for children from underprivileged groups, special-category students and multilingual populations, in line with NEP 2020’s goal of inclusive and equitable quality education.
• Cooperation: preparing school librarians as partners who collaborate with teachers, administrators and communities, providing leadership in resource curation, reading culture and ICT integration.
• Research and Policy Support: building the ability to conduct library-based research, contribute to educational innovation and generate evidence for policy-making.

Initiatives such as Digital India and DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing) open new possibilities for digital content curation and teacher-training support — work a trained DIET librarian can lead, sourcing resources through e-Pathshala and the NDLI for classroom enrichment.

Needs and Purpose of Capacity Building

Indian school libraries have traditionally been marginalised, functioning as repositories of textbooks rather than vibrant learning spaces. NEP 2020 alters this by placing libraries at the heart of experiential, inquiry-based and multidisciplinary learning. The purpose of capacity building can be framed around three dimensions:

• Institutional Needs: SCERTs and DIETs require robust hub libraries for teacher education — enabling librarians to curate appropriate collections and guide access to digital tools and pedagogical support.
• Professional Requirements: librarians need ongoing CPD in technology, research methods and pedagogy, including information and media literacy, AI tools for cataloguing, and copyright in digital environments.
• Societal Needs: in rural or under-served communities, libraries may be the sole gateway to digital learning, health resources or government services — calling for community-based outreach capabilities.

Capacity building is therefore not an end in itself; it connects to national missions such as Viksit Bharat 2047, the SDGs (especially SDG 4 and 16), and the creation of an enlightened citizenry.

Role and Importance of Libraries in the School Education System in India

Libraries serve curricular and co-curricular interactions and provide opportunities for socialisation and community engagement. NEP 2020 asserts that libraries must be part of the learning ecosystem with a focus on “reading, inquiry, critical thinking and creativity”. Some critical roles are:

• Promoting Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN): stocking graded readers, story books and digital resources to support early literacy, with librarians curating and steering their use.
• Enabling Multilingual Education: supplying texts in multiple languages and sensitising librarians to managing multilingual collections.
• Promoting Inclusive Education: providing assistive technologies, Braille materials and audiobooks, which calls for librarian capacity in Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
• Critical Thinking and Inquiry: hosting project-based learning and teaching students to research, cite sources and evaluate information.

Problems, Prospects and Opportunities for Library Professionals

Despite their importance, libraries and librarians in India face many challenges — limited funding and staff training, poorly maintained equipment, and difficulty mainstreaming technology into the curriculum. Many school libraries function without professional librarians, relying on teachers inadequately trained in library science. Yet the opportunities are equally significant:

• Open digital resources: NDLI, DIKSHA and e-Pathshala have vastly expanded access, building capacity for librarians as digital navigators.
• Policy recognition: NEP 2020 formally acknowledges the library’s role, creating scope for policy change and financial support.
• Community engagement: libraries can become ‘community knowledge outlets’, especially in rural areas with limited internet access.
• Global collaboration: links to IFLA and UNESCO let librarians share knowledge and learn global best practices.

India’s National Mission on Libraries (NML) aims to modernise libraries and disseminate ICT tools; librarians trained under NML projects report enhanced capacity for digital-resource services and outreach programmes.

Changing Perspectives of Libraries and Librarians with Reference to NEP 2020

NEP 2020 reflects a paradigm shift: libraries are no longer mere collections of books but “vibrant hubs of learning”. This requires a change in both institutional structures and professional identities.

• From Custodians to Facilitators: librarians help students inquire and train teachers and learners in research practices.
• Print-Centric to Hybrid Models: while print remains important, libraries now include digital collections, e-resources and multimedia.
• Isolated Units to Integrated Systems: libraries become fully integrated into curricula with librarians working closely with teachers.
• Day-to-Day to Pioneering: librarians take on new responsibilities — designing reading programmes and makerspaces, and using AI tools for cataloguing and plagiarism detection.

Skills and Competencies for Library Professionals Aligned with NEP 2020

Any capacity-building exercise should develop a set of essential competencies aligned with NEP 2020’s focus areas:

• Information and Media Literacy: access, evaluate and synthesise information; create, organise and share it responsibly; and apply critical thinking and ethical use in the digital world.
• ICT Skills: library automation packages, digital libraries and AI tools.
• Pedagogical Partnership: working with teachers to plan and integrate library resources with curricula.
• Multilingual Proficiency: generating and disseminating materials in regional languages.
• Inclusivity and Access: awareness of assistive devices, universal design and child-safe procedures.
• Research and Innovation: guiding student research, enhancing project-based learning and contributing to academic knowledge.

Training programmes under the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) build competencies in strategic planning, ICT integration and educational leadership. Comparable frameworks, such as the AASL standards, confirm the transferability of these skills internationally.